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Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). APL cells have a very specific abnormality that involves chromosomes 15 and 17, leading to the formation of an abnormal fusion gene called PML/RARα. This mutated gene causes many of the features of the disease. APL accounts for about 10-15 percent of all adult AML cases diagnosed each year. 

Complications of CLL or CLL Treatment

People with CLL are more likely to get infections.  

Merton

On November 3, 2014, I drove to work and, upon arrival, knew that something was seriously wrong with me. I called my love, Holly, and informed her that I could not drive myself home as I was afraid of hurting someone else. She came to my work to pick me up and told me we were going to go to my primary care physician to demand a complete blood panel workup. At this point, I was told by my primary care physician that I was suffering from systemic gout. I was prescribed multiple rounds of steroids and a pill that was supposed to break up the shards that were affecting my joints.

Michael and Ashlee

Michael and Ashlee have a unique mother-son relationship. They share a podcast about their cancer journey. They have a website and a YouTube channel, and, yes, they even do rap songs about their hospital experiences together.

Related Diseases

Myeloma shares some similar features and symptoms with other blood disorders, including:

Assistance with Finding Low-Cost Prescriptions

Please note that these resources are regularly reviewed to ensure that links still work correctly and that the resources listed continue to be helpful to our visitors. If you find that a link isn't working or information is incorrect, please email infocenter@lls.org.  If you would like for us to consider adding your organization to this resource, please complete and submit this form.

Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In this treatment, a patient’s own damaged or diseased blood-forming stem cells are destroyed. Then they are replaced with healthy stem cells from a donor.

Insurance Coverage

Health insurance helps pay for costly medical treatment and can protect you and your family from financial hardship. Some people have private health insurance coverage either through an employer (often called a group plan) or through an individual policy they've purchased. Even if you have coverage, however, certain treatments and charges may not be covered or paid in full. And there's the potentially overwhelming task of filing or appealing health insurance claims, especially when you're undergoing cancer treatment.

Managing Insurance and Expenses During Illness

It's important to resolve financial issues before they become a source of increased stress or limit your access to needed treatments, prescription medications or support services. Therefore, discuss payment options with members of your healthcare team or the treatment centers' patient financial services department. Patients and providers can work together to devise ways to reduce costs without compromising treatment. Ask your providers about:

Facts and Statistics Overview

Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are types of cancer that can affect the bone marrow, the blood cells, the lymph nodes, and other parts of the lymphatic system.

Click on the links below to view statistics about each disease:

Carol

I traveled with my friends Karen and Beth to Death Valley in February 2020 for a cycling trip where, despite Beth’s fitness and the amount of cycling we’d done, she became short of breath on the steep climbs. She would stop and catch her breath, then continue cycling. This wasn’t normal behavior, but Beth shrugged it off. “We all have good and bad days on the bicycle,” she said. On our last day of cycling, we were planning another hilly route. “You guys go ahead.

Supportive Care and Disease Complications

Supportive (palliative) care for myeloma helps manage the complications of the disease and the adverse side effects of the drugs used for treatment, including: 

Funeral Planning

A funeral or memorial service can help you cope after the loss of a loved one. In the early days of grief, navigating the practical issues that arise after death may feel overwhelming. Your loved one may have left instructions for you, or the decisions may be up to you or another family member. Many people may not be aware of the cost of funeral planning or the options available to families. Even if you do not plan to hold a traditional funeral, certain decisions still need to be made. 

Types of Complementary Therapies

An integrative healthcare team evaluates the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each patient and then recommends specific therapies and lifestyle changes as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Team members consider the scientific evidence, identify risks and benefits, and take into account individual preferences when they advise patients about complementary therapies.

Firefighters and Cancer Risk

All firefighters, regardless whether they are career or volunteer, put their own lives at risk to save others in their communities. In addition to the danger of putting out fires, firefighters are at an increased risk for different types of cancer due to the smoke and hazardous chemicals they are exposed to in the line of duty. There have been multiple studies that show this increased risk for cancer. 

New Study Shows Most Blood Cancer Patients Benefit from an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

Treatment

Which side effects do I need to call my doctor about? Side effects of treatment are usually discussed with patients before the treatment is started. From the doctor's perspective, the side effects of greatest concern may be fever, breathing difficulties, hives or rashes, rapid heartbeat, confusion, and redness or pain at the IV site. From the patient's perspective, any side effect causing discomfort or limiting usual activity, such as diarrhea or nausea, is a concern. Report any side effects when they first appear.

Caring for Yourself

As a caregiver you may neglect to take good care of your own needs because you are so focused on caring for your loved one. This is understandable, but to offer your loved one the best possible care, you need to be healthy and well yourself, both physically and emotionally.

Other Financial Assistance

LLS is part of the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (C-FAC), which helps cancer patients manage their financial challenges by:

• Helping members communicate and collaborate
• Educating patients and providers about resources and links to other organizations that provide information about C-FAC's resources
• Advocating for cancer patients regarding the financial burdens of cancer care

Financial and Legal

The many responsibilities of caring for someone often leads to job conflicts. Work is a financial necessity and a major source of personal satisfaction, but for many caregivers, it is often difficult to balance the twin responsibilities of caregiving and working. Each caregiver’s working conditions are different. Talk to your supervisor and look in the employee handbook or other human resources publications to learn about your company’s policy on caregivers.